Crown Resorts has signalled a new era, unveiling a bold new brand for the first time in nearly a decade, recapturing its original spirit as a leading curator of exceptional experiences, entertainment and tourism in Australia.

The campaign, Here’s Where Things Get Interesting, is live nationally across television, outdoor, print and social media, and marks a public shift from a casino and hotel to a world-class entertainment destination.

Informed by extensive research and stakeholder engagement, the new campaign addresses overwhelming national feedback for Crown to bring joy, energy, and life into its cities, and to reinvigorate the experiences guests and visitors have. The research also indicated that Australians want to visit a place where they feel connected to others as well as the city itself; somewhere with an atmosphere and a vibe they can immerse themselves in and safely enjoy.

The new direction centres around creating joyfully elevated experiences for the communities in which Crown operates and is a playful spin on Crown’s long held reputation as the home of all things interesting – entertainment, awards nights, celebrity sightings, weddings, gala events, birthdays, TV broadcasts and just about everything in between.

The first phase of Here’s Where Things Get Interesting begins with an integrated advertising campaign supported by a program of joyfully elevated events across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth across sport, music, art, dining and entertainment.

Crown Resorts CEO Ciarán Carruthers said: “Today marks an exciting new chapter in Crown’s history. Our reimagined Crown brand presents an opportunity to build a culture and character that enriches our cities through tourism, employment, world-class entertainment, hospitality, retail, and dining experiences.

“Over the last two years, we have worked very hard as a business to set Crown on a path to fundamentally change for the better. Upon opening, Crown was renowned as the home of all things interesting, and the place that makes the ordinary extraordinary. With new owners, new management, a new strategy, a new visual identity, and a new experience, we will do so again.

“To us, ‘interesting’ is the promise of something unique, elevated, unexpected, and memorable. ‘Interesting’ jolts you from the mundane. Our research told us that Australians expect that from Crown. As we move forward, interesting experiences will be a critical part of our strategy to energise our cities and supercharge Australia’s tourism revival.

“The leadership of this campaign is testament to Danielle Keighery and her team, who have breathed new life into the Crown brand and helped set the company up for future success. Ahead of her upcoming departure from Crown, I’d like to thank Danielle for her enormous contribution and wish her all the best for her future.”

Led by Chief Brand & Corporate Affairs Officer, Danielle Keighery, the new brand direction was created in partnership with pre-eminent Australian brand and creative agency, The Monkeys part of Accenture Song, and is supported by a tailored multi-channel media strategy and launch plan via leading global media agency, Initiative Australia. It centres around interesting and elevated moments across Crown’s entertainment venues, globally recognised restaurants and luxury accommodation facilities.

Australians at risk of online gambling harm will be better protected through a ban on credit card payments and fines of up to $234,750 for companies who don’t enforce it, through legislation to be introduced by the Albanese Labor Government to Parliament.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Bill 2023 will seek to ban the use of credit cards and credit related products, as well as digital currencies, used for online wagering.

The Bill continues the Government’s priority work to protect vulnerable Australians from online gambling harms and will also provide the Minister for Communications with the power to prohibit additional credit-related products as they emerge as a way of “future proofing” the legislation.

The introduction of the Bill implements recommendations from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services (PJC Inquiry) from November 2021.

The Bill will expand the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s powers to ensure strong and effective enforcement of the new and existing civil penalty provisions under the Act. Penalties up to $234,750 could apply for any breach of the new provisions.

Industry and consumers will be provided with a six month transition period from the date of Royal Assent to change their business and betting behaviours respectively.

Since coming to Government Labor has prioritised work to reduce the harm caused by online gambling, including through implementing the final measures under the National Consumer Protection Framework.

This includes the introduction of monthly activity statements outlining wins and losses, new evidence-based taglines to replace “Gamble Responsibly,” nationally consistent training for staff working in online gambling companies and BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, which allows consumers to exclude themselves from all Australian licensed wagering services for a period of three months up to a lifetime.

In addition, the Government will also introduce mandatory customer pre-verification, requiring wagering service providers to verify a customer’s identity when they register for a new account and before they can place a bet. This requirement is expected to be in place by the end of this month.

The Government is carefully considering the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling to inform future measures to help address the harm caused by online gambling.

A meeting of state, territory and Commonwealth ministers responsible for online wagering nationally will be held before the end of the year.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

“It’s as simple as this: people should not be betting with money they do not have.

“The Australian Government remains committed to protecting Australians from gambling harms.

“Legislating a ban on the use of credit cards for online gambling will help to protect vulnerable Australians and their loved ones.

“I would like to thank the wide variety of stakeholders, including harm reduction advocates, wagering and lottery providers, and banking payment organisations, for their contributions to and support for this Bill.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Social Services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP:

“Since coming to Government we’ve prioritised addressing the harm caused by online gambling and I’m pleased we are taking the next step with legislation to ban the use of credit cards.

“You can’t use your credit card to place a bet for land-based gambling and the same rules should apply for online gambling too.

“We’re serious about protecting vulnerable Australians from the harm we know online gambling can cause. Any platform breaching the new rules will face penalties.

“We know minimising the harm caused by online gambling is not a set and forget exercise and I look forward to working with my state and territory counterparts on what comes next to continue this positive change.”

The Star Entertainment Group and Konami Gaming have announced the extension and expansion of their long-standing casino systems partnership.

Since 2008, The Star has delivered exceptional patron experiences and used leading gaming technology through Konami’s award-winning SYNKROS casino management system. Since the inception of this partnership, both organisations have consistently prioritised innovation and excellence in the gaming industry.

The reinvigorated agreement reaffirms the partnership’s strength and success, while further highlighting a shared vision for revolutionising the casino experience. Robbie Cooke, managing director and chief executive officer of The Star Entertainment Group, and Steve Sutherland, president and chief executive officer of Konami Gaming, marked the next phase of this systems partnership with a handshake, signifying the commitment to enhancing the future of casino entertainment.

“Our collaboration has yielded outstanding results over the years, and this extension will help us deliver significant advancements in our ongoing commitment to responsible gaming and harm minimization,” Mr. Cooke said.

The renewed partnership will encompass an array of SYNKROS technological solutions poised to elevate the gaming experience for patrons across Star’s properties.